


I Think I Love You

by moondream20089



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I don't know what I'm doing, Post-Order 66, Rex and Ahsoka stay together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26334361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondream20089/pseuds/moondream20089
Summary: The Clone Wars have ended. A new Galactic Empire has risen up in the place of the Republic. Many wonder if the new Empire is really what it claims to be. Senators Lux Bonteri and Twyla Ulij search for answers. They find themselves stranded on a wintery moon in their search for Ahsoka Tano, ex-Jedi and friend….
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Lux Bonteri & Ahsoka Tano, Lux Bonteri/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	I Think I Love You

## 

STRANDED!

The Clone Wars have ended. A new Galactic Empire has risen up in the place of the Republic. Many wonder if the new Empire is really what it claims to be. Senators Lux Bonteri and Twyla Ulij search for answers. They find themselves stranded on a wintery moon in their search for Ahsoka Tano, ex-Jedi and friend….

~

“This can’t be it. There has to be a clue here somewhere. We can’t have lost her!” Lux fell to his knees, slamming his fists into the frozen ground. 

Twyla gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I, for one, am not going to give up. She either found a way off of this moon, or is still here. We _will_ find something.”

“What are we supposed to do?” he asked incredulously, “Walk in the cold and snow in the hopes of stumbling across a settlement?”

“Whatever it takes. We owe it to her. She’s our friend!”

His hands shook, red from the cold, as he stood up. “You’re right. I- I just- if we don’t find her, I don’t know… I’m running out of hope.”

They turned away from the graveyard, leaving behind the reflections of their friend’s face on the hollow helmets. They would find Ahsoka Tano, even if it meant scouring every inch of the galaxy.

~

They trudged along, wading through snow up to their knees. Lux’s determination had been renewed, adding a fervent feeling to his pace. He didn’t seem to realize Twyla stumbling along beside him. Her struggle to continue onward completely escaped his notice until she suddenly collapsed.

“Twil? Twyla!” He lunged to pull her out of the snow. “Wake up! We have to keep going. We have to find Ahsoka.” His panic spiked as it became apparent that she was unresponsive. He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to regain composure. He didn’t have much of a choice but to scoop her into his arms and continue onward.

~

Lux didn’t know how long he had been going. The girl held against his chest was the only reason he hadn't given up ages earlier. He was afraid to think about what would happen if he didn’t find help.

Everything had been monotonous for so long his vision was beginning to blur. So when Twyla suddenly shifted with a moan, he almost dropped her. 

“Whoa, are you okay?” he asked,“You’ve been out for a while.”

“Lux? I think…” Her eyes fluttered closed.

“What? Twil, stay with me. What is it?”

“I think I love you.” The words escaped with a frosty breath.

And then she was out again, leaving Lux to battle his confusion and disbelief. 

~

Lux was on the brink of collapse. He was burning all over from exertion and the cold. He was losing his sense of reality. He wasn’t sure if it was light or dark, or if he was walking forwards or backwards, or if the smoke in the distance was going up or down…

Wait, smoke? Lux snapped back into focus. Smoke meant fire and fire meant people. At least, he was hoping it meant people. The closer he got, the higher his spirits became. He could make out shapes that were certainly not natural constructs. And moving figures! They were going to be okay!

“Help!” he cried, “Somebody, please! We need help!”

One of the figures came to meet them, a man in heavy winter gear.

“Senator Bonteri?” the stranger said, slightly muffled.

“Do I know you, sir?” The man took off his face coverings to reveal a face that Lux was all too familiar with. “You’re a clone.”

“You’d better come with me.” The clone tried to take Twyla from him, but he protested. 

“Look,” the clone sighed, “We both know you can’t do this for much longer. I’m surprised you’re still standing.”

Lux knew he was right, even though putting Twyla into the care of this man felt wrong somehow. He let her go, trying to ignore the ache growing in his gut.

~

“Take off her boots.”

“What?” Lux had been in a daze since he had come across the clone that was now ordering him around. The clone had brought them inside a small house deep set in snow. Lux hadn’t paid much attention to anything as Twyla was laid down on a cot of sorts.

“Take off her boots,” the man repeated.

“Why?”

He sighed. “Just do it.”

Lux tore off his gloves and focused on undoing Twyla’s unnecessarily complicated laces with his very numb fingers. He’d barely managed to slip the shoes off when the clone issued another command.

“And the socks.”

Lux, past the point of questioning, did as he was told. The clone crouched next to him and began rubbing something into her bare feet. “What is that?” he asked, his tired brain entranced by the circular motion of the man’s fingers.

“It’ll help with frostbite.” Lux only gulped at the clone’s remark. After a few moments, the clone stood back up. “Go hang your coat by the door. I’ll get you something to eat.”

After stripping off his winter gear, he found himself wandering back into the room where Twyla lay. He sat next to her, studying her soft features. His muddled thoughts were interrupted by the man’s return. Lux accepted the plate of odd looking snacks. “Will she be okay?” he asked.

“I think so. I’m not an expert, but I’ve seen my fair share of injuries, and I don’t think there’s anything to be too worried about.”

Lux breathed a sigh of relief. “Who exactly are you?” he asked after nibbling a bit of a little orange cube.

“The name’s Rex.”

“You’re the clone who helped liberate my people from the separatists?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as that, but I did play a part, yes.”

“Whatever the case may be, I am eternally grateful to you. For what you did for my people, and what you have done for us today. We would not have survived without you.”

“That’s for sure,” he grunted, “What are you two doing all the way out here anyway?”

“Senator Ulij and I are searching for our friend, Ahsoka Tano.”

A new voice came from the doorway.

“Well, it looks like you found me.”

~

It had been days. Days of panicked waiting. Days of staring at Twyla’s unmoving face. And with each new day, the question became more prominent in the back of Lux’s mind: _Will she ever wake up?_

Rex kept saying everything would be fine, but Lux could feel the doubt setting in. And as much as Ahsoka tried to hide it, he could tell she was getting antsy, too. She would go out, sometimes with Rex, sometimes without him, and come back more tense each time. And Lux noticed how she would bite her lip every time she stole a glance in Twyla’s direction. He cursed himself over and over for not thinking about how Twyla would fare in the cold. She was from a desert planet with three suns, for goodness sake! Lux had _known_ that, and yet, it hadn't even occurred to him to ask her if she would be okay walking for miles in the freezing air of that blasted moon. 

But he couldn't change anything now. Another night passed and another day arrived with the same pale face of his unconscious friend. Lux was in the midst of taking his frustrations out on his breakfast when Rex interrupted the silent meal with an irritated declaration. 

“That's it! You two need to get out. Right now. You're driving yourselves crazy, and you're dragging me with you!”

“But-”

“Nope. Leave. Go outside. Do something with yourselves. I can hold down the fort. Don't come back until dinner.” Rex practically shoved them through the door, threw their gear at them with a satisfied huff, and then locked them out. 

It took them a while to move from that spot, but they eventually made their way to the stable and saddled up their rides. They moved in silence, knowing there were words to be said, but neither having the willpower to do anything about it. After more than enough wandering with nothing but snowy white in sight to last a lifetime, Ahsoka broke the thick silence. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Beside the obvious?”

“Obviously.”

Lux shifted in his seat. “I guess I just feel… lost. Twyla and I were supposed to find you, and you were supposed to have all the answers, and then we were supposed to have our ‘Happily Ever After’. But instead, Twyla’s sick, we’re stuck on a freezing moon, and no one has any idea what to do.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, she’s my friend.”

“Lux, you know what I mean. You’ve been so worried for her. And the way you look at her… well it’s the way I used to wish you would look at me. Which isn’t important now. What I’m getting at is that you seem conflicted. I’m not sure why, and I’m guessing that’s mostly because I haven’t been around for a while, but as your friend, and as Twyla’s friend, I’m here for the both of you.”

Lux wasn’t really sure what to say. About any of it. Which was strange for him, being a politician and all. After an awkward pause, Ahsoka sped up slightly and cut Lux off.

“That means you’re supposed to talk to me, silly.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s clearly been something on your mind the past few days. Start there.”

Lux wasn’t sure telling Ahsoka what had been occupying his thoughts was the best idea, but before he could truly weigh the pros and cons, he blurted it out. “She told me she loves me.” His instinct was to curl in on himself. Instead, he forced his chin up and shoulders back. 

“Really?” Lux thought Ahsoka might have laughed a little, but he couldn’t be certain.

“But,” Lux found his mouth blabbing without his will again, “I don’t know if she meant it, or if she was delirious, or thought I was someone else, or-”

“Lux,” Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder, “She’s liked you for a long time.”

“Huh.” Lux didn’t know how to feel. He’d never consciously thought of Twyla as anything more than a friend, but now he couldn’t help wondering if it was possible. In fact, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He was constantly afraid that she wouldn’t wake up. Or that things would be different if she did. And then having Ahsoka there… his feelings were hopelessly confused. 

“Do you know what you’re going to do?”

“Definitely _not_. Ahsoka, you know how things turned out the last time I let myself feel things.” He thought back to Steela, who had died to save his home world from the evil Separatists during the Clone Wars. “I don’t know if I could live through something like that again.”

“I understand. But don’t get so caught up in your fear that you push her away. The galaxy is not what it used to be, and you need all the friends you can get. We both know that Twil is the best kind of friend. Don’t lose her.”

~

Twyla was brought back to the land of the living by a wonderful smell. It was an unfamiliar aroma, but it left her stomach rumbling. The last time she’d eaten was… with Lux. 

Oh Suns and Moon, _Lux_.

She shot up, eyes open wide. “Lux?” She frantically jumped out of the strange bed, falling against one of the strange walls when everything in the strange room started spinning. Panic swelled inside her. She stumbled towards the door, running into stuff and knocking them over. “Lux? What’s happening?” She made it to the door, leaning against the frame to keep from falling over. A man—who was most certainly _not_ Lux—stood across the adjoining room, back facing her.

“Who are you?” she asked, a slight croak lacing her voice.

“Of course you wake up now,” he sighed, turning around to reveal his clone physique, “I’m Rex.”

“Rex? Like, The Rex?” Biting her lip, she tried to bury her excitement. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I really admire your work.”

“My work?”

“I’ve heard stories. About the war. Mostly from Ahsoka.”

He shook his head slightly. “I hope the real me doesn’t disappoint you too much. Ahsoka has a tendency to… glorify things.”

Twyla had to agree with him there. “What are you making?”

“It’s supposed to be a stew, but Ahsoka doesn’t know the difference between drizzle-root and drasselspice, so we’ll see how it turns out.”

Twyla’s heart stopped. “Ahsoka is here?”

“Well, she’s out at the moment with that Bonteri boy,” there was a slight edge to his words, “But they’ll be back by dinnertime.”

Twyla felt a pang of guilt for being distracted enough by Rex to let Lux slip her mind. “They’re both okay, though, right?”

“As well as they can be in this place.”

Twyla could feel the relief sprout from her core into every inch of her body. The tears began to fall, and she barely registered them.

“Sorry, I, uh, didn’t mean to make you cry,” Rex said when he noticed her wet cheeks. 

“I apologize. It is a custom for my people to not hold back tears. We see them as a form of beautiful expression of deep emotion, rather than a sign of weakness or patheticness as most do. I’m sorry if I am making you uncomfortable.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “Oh, no. It’s fine. Nothing to worry about.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Actually, I’m just about done. And you should sit down anyway. I heard you crashing around in there earlier. Seems like you’re not quite ready to be on your feet yet.”

Twyla’s face flushed. “I really am a disaster, aren’t I?”

Rex chuckled softly and led her to a chair. 

“I’m Twyla, by the way.” 

“Oh I know,” he went back to stir the stew, “You’ve been the topic of much discussion the past few days.”

“ _Days_?”

“Yeah. You were out for a while. Had us all pretty worried.” He came back with a cup.

“Here. You’re probably dehydrated.”

“Thank you. And not just for the water, although it is much appreciated. Thank you for being so kind and accepting. I haven’t come across many people in this universe that don’t turn their nose up at my people’s ways.”

“You’re welcome. I understand how you feel better than most.”

“So have you guys been hiding out here since the warship crashed? And is it just you and Ahsoka or are there more people on this moon?”

“Only us. No one else survived. No natives. Just some pack animals we’ve taken to looking after.”

“Must be lonely.”

“Could be worse. At least we’re alive.”

“True that.” They sat in comfortable silence as Rex put the finishing touches on the meal. He eventually came to sit next to Twyla. “What are Lux and Ahsoka doing?” Twyla felt another rush at the prospect of actually seeing her again. 

“Ahsoka got this feeling about a week ago. She says something is coming, and whatever it is, it isn’t good. We’ve been trying to find a way off this moon. That’s what we were doing when Senator Bonteri brought you here. That’s what we’ve been trying to do while you were healing. That’s what they’re doing now.”

“Is there anything I can do? The ship we came on-”

“Is damaged beyond repair. I know. Bonteri told us the story of how you got here. Even if we could find it, we don’t have the supplies to fix it. We’ve had the same problem with the ship we escaped the crash in. It needed repairs even before we took it. The only place we know of that could have what we need is the crash sight, but we don’t know exactly where it is.”

“Oh.” Twyla could imagine why they had abandoned that place. All the memories it held… And if Lux and Twyla could find the wreck, so could any number of people. In the midst of her wondering, a gust of cold air from the doorway coaxed her goosebumps to come out of hiding. She looked up to find the silhouette of her favorite Togruta. “Ahsoka!” Practically leaping into each other's arms, they both let out tearful laughs. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“And I’m so glad you’re awake!”

Rex chuckled from the table. “Did you find anything?”

Ahsoka sighed. “Snow, snow, and—wait for it—more snow. I’m sick of endless white! We need to find something, and fast. Whatever’s coming, it’s coming soon.”

“Then we’ll just keep trying,” Twyla said, attempting to stay positive, “And I can help now. A fresh pair of eyes.”

Rex and Ahsoka’s chorus of objections was interrupted by another whistle of winter air entering the room. Lux stood at the threshold, staring at the three of them as his hair danced in the wind.

“Lux!” Twyla was overjoyed to see him. A grin split her features, but disappeared just as quickly when she noticed his unsmiling expression. “Are you- are you okay?”

“I don’t think I locked the barn up right,” Lux’s monotonous voice left Twyla furrowing her brow. Lux spun on his heel, door creaking behind him.

Twyla was slightly shocked and only barely registered Ahsoka’s huff.

“Why don’t you two do some catching up? The stew’s ready. I’m going to make sure he’s got his head on straight.” Rex’s tone had “eye roll” written all over it. 

“What was that?” Twyla asked, not sure if she actually wanted to know. 

“Lux is… confused,” Ahsoka answered. 

“About what?”

“He’ll say when he's ready. Which better be soon,” Ahsoka added the last part under her breath, but Twyla still caught it. “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll dish up some of the moon slop Rex calls ‘stew’.”

Twyla had thought she was getting more firm on her feet, but her shaky legs said otherwise. She sighed as she lowered herself into a chair. It was a little frustrating, but she couldn’t dwell on herself; Ahsoka was okay, and that was what really mattered. As Ahsoka sat down with the meal, Twyla decided she didn’t want to waste away wallowing in her own head. She would be present, and try to be more outspoken. And she would start right then.

“So,” Twyla began, “what's going on between you and Rex?” She smirked at Ahsoka’s obvious blush. 

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Sure.” Twyla was not fooled. She saw the way Rex’s face lit up when he talked about Ahsoka, and she couldn’t help but hope she would find someone like that someday.

~

Twyla was used to not having any control. Growing up, she was the youngest in her family. A brother, a sister, three more brothers. And then her. She had learned early not to lament over what she had no power to change and instead focus on what was in her grasp. As a kid, her outlet was her hair. No one could tell her what to do about her own hair. So when things got frustrating she would fix her hair in elaborate ways. During the battle for her planet her sister called her vain for fussing about how she looked, but what she didn’t know was that it was the only thing keeping Twyla grounded while their brothers were being slaughtered. When she was a member of the Republic Senate her nervous habit passed as normal. And then everything had dissolved into chaos and she’d had to choose between death or life under the oppressive empire. Her home was so small and out of the way that if she didn’t cooperate the empire would have no qualms with obliterating everything she held dear. She suffered through another session of feeling insignificant and powerless, giving herself headaches with each complex hairdo. And when the off season came, the only thing she wanted was to find a purpose, a way to actually make a difference. She found herself turning to Lux Bonteri and together they set out on an adventure that took them to a forgotten moon in the middle of winter. They had finally found Ahsoka. Everything should have been perfect and wonderful. But Lux was acting weird and Twyla couldn’t seem to get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach. Her hands kept drifting to her head and she eventually gave in and began to mess with her hair, just in time for Ahsoka to catch her in the act.

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Ahsoka asked, which was not what Twyla was expecting.

“Do what?”

“That thing. With your hair. I've always been curious how people get it to do that.”

“You want me to teach you how to braid?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’d be happy to, but it would be kind of difficult to show you on my own hair.”

“What about Lux?”

Twyla could feel an alarm go off somewhere in her subconscious. “I don't know if his is long enough. And even if it is-”

“Have you seen it lately? It's like a mop,” an impish grin found its way onto Ahsoka’s features, “Lux!”

He stumbled into the room looking slightly panicked. “What?”

“Sit down,” Ahsoka commanded, “we need your head.”

“Why exactly?”

Twyla sighed slightly. “Ahsoka wants me to teach her how to braid. So really, we need your hair.” She tried really hard not to squeak, but failed. Miserably. 

“But-” Lux began to protest.

“No buts,” Ahsoka interrupted, “I hereby give you no choice in the matter. Sit.”

Lux plopped down in front of them without further argument, his face getting redder by the second. Twyla imagined her face displayed a similar picture. She turned to face the project in front of her. Lux’s hair really had grown quite long. To braid it seemed very… intimate. Too intimate. Twyla felt like doing so would be crossing a line, but Ahsoka’s expectant look made her push her fears to the back of her mind. It would be fine. It was just a braid, after all. She’d done them a million times. It didn’t have to mean anything at all. She reached out and ran his hair through her fingers, willing the blush off her face. 

She taught Ahsoka a few simple braids. She demonstrated on Lux, and then Ahsoka would try it on Twyla’s hair. They were still at it when Rex came back from scouting. Ahsoka managed to rope him into the braid train somehow. As Ahsoka and Rex practiced on Twyla, she absentmindedly messed with Lux’s hair. Having nothing to occupy himself with, Lux’s eyes began to droop. Twyla didn’t know what to do when his tired head came to rest on her knee. She was afraid to move and disturb him, so she didn’t. Rex and Ahsoka left the pair, barely containing their grins at Twyla’s predicament. 

By the time Lux came to, Twyla was asleep beside him and his hair was an intricate masterpiece of knots and twists.

~

It was Ahsoka and Rex’s turn to go scouting, which left Twyla and Lux alone for the first time since she had woken up. Twyla was becoming more perplexed by Lux every minute. It was as if he was avoiding her, which was ridiculous given the very small dwelling they were in. Twyla had had enough. She decided that she needed to do something about it, even if Ahsoka had said he would get around to it on his own. So she confronted him as soon as the door closed behind Rex and Ahsoka—before she could change her mind.

“Why are you acting so strange?” she asked, trying not to sound too desperate for the answer, “Did I do something? If I did, I'm sorry, but I don't understand-”

“How much of the trek from the warship graveyard to here do you remember?”

“Only the beginning. I was walking behind you, and then I woke up here.”

“So,” he pulled at the collar of his shirt, “You don’t remember how I carried you here after you collapsed?”

Twyla could feel the blush forming on her cheeks as she shook her head.

“And you have no recollection of when you woke up for a few seconds?”

She shook her head again.

“Which I’m guessing means you don’t know that in those few moments you told me that you loved me.”

_Oh_. All of the heat that had accumulated in her face drained completely. “I—” she cleared her throat in an effort to keep the rasp at bay. “I said that?”

“Yes. Which is, as I’m sure you can imagine, driving me crazy.”

Twyla knew this would happen. She knew that Lux didn’t like her. It made sense. How could she compare to all of the other senators or people Lux knew from home or _Ahsoka_? She had made the decision even before they were really friends that she would never let her feelings find their way into the open. She respected him too much to let anything come between them. And she didn’t know what she would do without him. He was her only friend in the Imperial Senate, one of very few people she trusted outside of her home planet. And she could see all of it crumbling. There was nothing she could do now but face it head on. 

“I won’t lie to you, Lux,” she started, proud of the steadiness she had somehow mustered. “I cannot deny what I said. I understand if you wish to have nothing to do with me now. I just hope that we can somehow remain kind, or at least civil to one another, if not as friends that perhaps as acquaintances. I truly value your opinion and I would be sad to lose your friendship. Just know that I have the highest respect for you, regardless of what happens next.” She felt a weight leave her chest as everything came into the open. It felt good not to hold anything back, even if it did mean losing one of the people closest to her.

“You can’t deny it?”

“I cannot.” Something about his voice left Twyla breathless.

“You mean what you said?”

“Yes.” And the way his eyes were focused on her, as if he could see her very soul, coaxed goosebumps onto her arms. 

“I would never want you to go away. Twya Ulij, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on. I was too blind to see it before, but now I can’t imagine how I went so long without realizing it.” Twyla couldn’t believe her ears, nor could she stop the tears from rolling down her face. “I’ve been trying to find the words since before you woke up. It’s so clear now.” Lux placed a gentle hand on her wet cheek, smiling as if everything was right in the galaxy. “What I’m trying to say is… I think I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic! Let me know how I'm doing, and whether or not I should keep going with this story.


End file.
